Featured Mat of the Month: Entrance Matting


Entrance matting fulfills two important functions in buildings and facilities. First, a good entrance mat is the first line of defence against dirt and moisture being tracked into a building from the outside environment. This helps to protect floor surfaces from avoidable wear and tear, as well as reducing the costs associated with the cleaning, repair and maintenance of flooring.

Secondly, because an entrance mat is often the primary transition area between the external environment and a building’s interior floor surface, a good entrance mat can greatly reduce the incidence of slips and falls resulting from wet or soiled feet on tiled floor surfaces.

Good quality entrance mats possess the following properties:

  • Dirt removal and retention. Studies show that up to 80 per cent of dirt entering a building is carried in on the soles of shoes or on the wheels and tires of business carriers and handcarts. Good quality mats effectively scrape and detach dirt and soil from shoes, wheels and tires. In addition, good quality mats trap and retain the dirt and debris that has been removed from shoes, preventing its transfer onto other incoming traffic. These properties prevent rain, snow, abrasives, dirt, etc. from being tracked into the building interior.

  • Moisture absorption. A key cause of slips and falls in entranceways is the presence of moisture on floor surfaces. Good quality entrance mats can reduce the incidence of slips and falls by absorbing moisture from incoming traffic, thereby helping to keep entranceway floors safe and dry. When high moisture conditions are present, such as the winter season, the use of runner matting can also help to keep entranceway floors dry.

  • Stability, slip-and trip-resistance. It is important to keep entrance mats in-place and stable so that they do not migrate and cease to fulfill their essential dirt trapping function. In addition, consideration needs to be given to reducing or eliminating the trip hazard that may be associated with a mat placed on top of a floor surface. To address these issues, mats may be embedded in recessed wells in flooring, or alternatively, may be secured in place with frames, ramps, and mat dividers. Recessed mats, where the mat surface is level with the floor surface are the best defence against mat migration and tripping. Securing a mat in place with beveled frames, ramps and dividers is also effective for keeping a mat in position and providing a contoured transition area between the mat surface and the floor. A high quality entrance mat is also slip-resistant. Using matting with a high-traction surface which is slip-resistant is essential wherever water and moisture may be present.

  • Resilience and durability. Entranceways are typically high footfall locations within a building. Good quality entrance mats can stand up to the high traffic conditions typically found in entranceways.

  • Aesthetics and noise reduction. Quality mats help to create an aesthetically pleasing entrance to a building. In addition to offering pleasing aesthetics, a good entrance mat can help attenuate the higher noise levels often found in entranceways.

Canada Rubber Group Inc. (CRGI) supplies a range of high-quality entrance mats. In addition, we carry aluminum frames, ramps and dividers that can be used with the Gateway, Gateway Ultra, and Gateway Brush Hog models described below. All of our mats can be supplied in standard sizes and widths, lengths up to 33 feet, or cut-to-size as required. Our line of entrance matting includes the following products:

  • Gateway. The best solution for keeping buildings clean from dirt carried in on shoes, especially in areas of high-volume pedestrian traffic. The open grid design effectively scrapes away and traps dirt. This mat possesses excellent soil removal, wear-resistance and noise-reduction properties.

  • Gateway Ultra. The design of this mat features a combination of PVC bars and absorbent inserts provide excellent cleaning and drying capabilities. This mat possesses excellent soil removal and fluid drainage properties, combined with high wear-resistance and noise-reduction.

  • Gateway Brush Hog. With its high-density brushes, this mat provides aggressive and thorough removal of soil, snow, ice and grit. This mat has excellent wear-resistance, fluid drainage, soil removal, and noise reduction properties.

  • Grip Rock Runner. An excellent runner mat for high traffic areas. Triple-layer construction consisting of a top layer with ceramic beads and crushed garnet, a middle layer of fibreglass, and a polyurethane backing layer.

  • Concierge. This mat consists of thousands of scraping “fingers" designed to remove and trap dirt and snow. Provides superior traction and helps prevent slips and falls with beveled edges on all four sides. Manufactured from high-quality rubber, this mat provides excellent slip-resistance, wear-resistance, and fluid drainage.

  • Eco-Plus+. This is a new generation mat with excellent scraping and wiping properties. It is made from 100 per cent recycled P.E.T. fiber surface molded to a reinforced nitrile/rubber backing that delivers excellent performance in heavy traffic areas.

  • Eco-Step. A new generation wiper mat made from 100 per cent recycled P.E.T. fiber surface bonded to a vinyl backing for durability and optimal performance. This mat is ideal for light/medium traffic applications

To find out more about any of these products, or the full line of entrance matting that CRGI carries, contact our sales department today.

CRGI Territory Manager John Evans will be pleased to respond directly to reader questions and inquiries on any of the products described in this blog. Contact John Evans via email at crg@canadarubbergroup.com.